


Calm The Seas Within Me

by LtTrailer18



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Day One: Wounds, Fluff, M/M, Sharing a Bed, ShiroShipWeek, with a touch of angst
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-07-15
Updated: 2019-07-15
Packaged: 2020-06-28 15:09:40
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,124
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19814866
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LtTrailer18/pseuds/LtTrailer18
Summary: Keith has developed a habit that Shiro enjoys, but doesn't really understand. He asks him about it, and is shocked by his answer.





	Calm The Seas Within Me

Shiro wandered out of his bathroom and flopped down onto his bed, the wet towel hanging over his shoulders. He was exhausted. It had been a long and tedious day. They'd been in several fights with the Galra and although the battles were fairly easily won, but they had taken up the entire day. It had been a few hours since their last battle and it's the longest they'd gone in the last 24 hours or so. Shiro was hoping he and the rest of the team could get at least a few hours of sleep in before the next fleet popped up. Of course, sleep didn't usually come easy for Shiro. His nightmares plagued him when he was alone. 

"Maybe I should go find--" His thoughts were interrupted by a quiet, almost hesitant knocking at his door. He couldn't help but smile, already knowing who was on the other side. He levered himself out of bed and went to the door. It whooshed open and standing before him was Keith. Shiro's smile grew at the sight of him.

"You reading my mind?" he teased. Keith looked up at him and cocked his head, his eyebrows drew together in confusion. Shiro chuckled softly. "I was just thinking I wanted to see you," he clarified, pulling Keith into a tight hug. Keith returned it easily and Shiro nuzzled his hair, taking in the scent of the shampoo. It was that same he used and had a berry-like scent to it, but somehow it smelled better on Keith. Shiro pressed his lips to Keith's hair before pulling back. He released himand locked the door. When he turned around Keith was already settling himself into Shiro's bed. 

"So, why'd you want to see me?" Keith asked. 

"I sleep better when you're with me," Shiro answered, climbing into bed as well. He settled onto his back beside Keith and lifted his arm, allowing Keith to snuggle up against him. 

Keith hummed. "Me too," he said. 

He sat up to press a kiss to Shiro's lips. They spent a few minutes lazily kissing. When Keith pulled back he moved farther up and kissed the scar over Shiro's nose. Then he worked his way down and kissed over the numerous scars littering Shiro's torso. It was a regular thing, something Keith did almost every night they spent together. If Keith could see a scar, he'd kiss it. Shiro found it comforting, but he realized as he watched Keith that he didn't know why Keith did it. 

"Hey, Keith," he began. "Can I ask you something?" 

Keith paused to look at Shiro. "Of course," he answered. 

"Why do you do that? Kiss my scars, I mean."

Keith froze for a moment and seemed to stop breathing for just a second before he swallowed hard, took a deep breath, and practically whispered, "Do you want me to stop?" He pulled himself away from Shiro and kneeled next to him. 

"No," Shiro soothed. He reached out and placed his hand against Keith's face, angling him to look at him. "I just don't understand why you do it."

"It's… dumb," Keith sighed. Shiro gave Keith a look and waited for him to continue. "I just… I know you hate them. I know when you look at them you're disgusted. You think they're ugly and that they make you… undesirable. And I guess I feel like if I kiss them enough I can…” He paused and began worrying his bottom lip, gaze angled downward at his hands, which were pulling at the sheet beneath him. 

“Keith?”

He sighed. “Maybe I can fill them with love and you'll stop hating yourself, he mumbled, his face scarlet. "It's stupid." Keith stared down at his hands between his knees. "I'll stop."

Shiro gaped at Keith, his eyes stinging. "No, Keith," Shiro rasped. "It's wonderful. _You're_ wonderful." Shiro pushed himself up and enveloped Keith into a hug. Keith remained tense in his arms. Heturned his head and kissed Keith's cheek. "Thank you," he whispered. He buried his face in the crook of Keith's neck and closed his eyes tight to hold off the tears welling in his eyes. He took a deep breath to steady himself and then pulled back. He placed his hands on both sides of Keith's face and turned it so Shiro could look into his eyes. "I love you," he breathed. "So, so much." 

Keith finally looked back to Shiro, met his shining eyes, and some of the tension finally left him. "I love you too," Keith mumbled. "Scarred or not. You're perfect to me." 

Shiro gently pulled Keith forward and kissed him. They carried on for a bit, Shiro fighting back the dam threatening to burst from his eyes. He found it incredibly endearing. Keith had taken so much time and care to show Shiro how much he loved him. That even broken and scarred Shiro was somehow still worth something to him, that he was able to be loved. The physical wounds may have healed long ago, but Shiro was still battling the mental ones that he had suffered. And Keith, amazing Keith, had been helping him along. Keith's tender, love-filled kisses to his scars were helping. Shiro had noticed it, he just hadn't realized the cause. He didn't cringe when he looked at himself in the mirror anymore. He didn't loathe his body the way he had when he first escaped the Galra prison. He could finally look at himself without disdain because Keith had been there to love even his broken parts. The dam broke and the tears fell. Keith felt the wetness on Shiro's face as they kissed and immediately broke away. 

"Shiro?" His voice was tight with alarm. "What's wrong?"

Shiro shook his head. "Nothing. Nothing is wrong at all, baby," Shiro said through his tears, smiling brightly. Keith's eyebrows knitted together and Shiro could still sense the alarm emanating from him. He laughed quietly and leaned in to place another soft kiss on Keith's lips. He gently brushed Keith's hair back and said, "It's working. I didn't realize that's what you were doing but, god, Keith, how much you've helped me. I couldn't stand looking at myself. But you were here. You never flinched. You saw what I'd become and you didn't just accept it, you actively loved me. Baby, you've been putting back my broken pieces and healing wounds I didn't think could be healed.” He ran the backs of his fingers against Keith’s cheek. “I don’t think I will ever be able to thank you enough for what you’ve done for me.”

Keith looked at Shiro, some residual embarrassment still evident on his face. “It’s nothing,” he whispered. 

Shiro shook his head. “No, Keith, it’s everything.”


End file.
